The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-05-27

up light in the dark alley, even the glsA.
ness Of heaven.
Do not 60 wrapped I'M your fine furs and
from your we'll filed tables with the idea
that pious talk is going to stop tho gnaw-
ing Of an empty stomach, or to warm
stockingless feet Take bread, take
raiment, take medicine As well as take
prayer. There is great deal of common
sense in what the poor woman said to the
city missionary, when he was telling her
how she ought to love God aud serve him.
''Oh," she said, III you were as poor
and Cold as am, and as hungry, you
could think of nothing else"
A great deal OF what is called Christian
work goes for nothing, for the simple rea-
son it isinot practical, as after the battle OF
Antietam man 60. out Of IN ambulance
with bag OF tracts, and he went dis
tributing the tracts. and George Stuart,
one of the best Chistian men In this coun-
try, said 70 him:
''What are you distributing tracts for
nowl There are 5000 men bleeding to
death. Bind up their wounds, and then
distribute the tracts"
We want more common sense in Chris
tian work, taxing the bread of this life in
one hand AMI the bread Of the next life in
the other hand. No such inapt work as
that 8 ops by the Christian man who, dur
ing tho last war, went into hospital
with tracts, and coming to the bed of a
man whose legs had been amputated.
gave him tract on the sin of dancing! I
l~-e n,.p HI~.,k
thetic words uttered, never a prayer Of
fered, never Christian alms2iving in
dulged in but it 10 blessed.
There is q place i'm Switzerland, have
been told, where the utterance of one
word will bring back a score OF echoes;
and have to tell you this morning that q
sympathetic word, a kind word, gen.
erous word, a helpful word, uttered in the
dark places of the town, will bring back
10000 echoes from the thrones of Heaven.
of one of the best friends ever had Out
side of nv own family never had bet
ter friend. He welcomed me to my home
at the West. He was of splendid personal
appearance, and he had an ardor of soul
and warmth of affection that made me
love him like brother. l saw men COM
ing out of the saloons and gambling hells,
and they surrounded my friend and they
took him at the weak point, his social
nature, and saw him going down, and I
had fair talk with him-for l never
yet saw a man you could not talk
with on the subject of his habits.
if you talked with him in the right
way. l said to him: ''Why don't you
give up your bad habits and become 6
ChristianE' remember now just how he
looked, leaning over his counter, as hd
replied: 81 wish 1 could. Oh, sir, should
like to be Christian. butt have gone SO
far astray can't get back"
So the time went on. After awhile the
sickness came. l was summoned to his
sick bed. l fastened. 1t took me but a
very few moments to get there. / was
surprised as l went in. l saw him in his
ordinary dress. fully dressed lying on top
of the bed. gave HIM my hand. AMI he
seized it convulsively and said:
'Oh. how glad am to see you! Sit down
there" l sat down and he said: Mr..
Talmage, just where you sit now nv
mother sat last night. She has been dead
twenty years. Now, don't want you to
think am out of my mind, or that am
superstitious; but, sir, she sat there last
night just as certainly as you sit
there now-the Same cap and apron and
spectacles. 1t was nv old mother-she
sat there" Then he turned to his wife
and said: 81 wish you would take these
strings off the bed; somebody is wrapping
strings around me all the time. wish
yeu would stop that annoyance" She
said: "There is nothing here" Then ]
saw it was deiirium.
He said: "Just where you sit now my
mother sat, and she said: Boswell,
wish you would do better-I wish you
would do better said: Mother, wish
could do better; l try to do better. but
can't. Mother, you used to help me; why
can't you help me now!' And, sir, l got
out of bed, for it was a reality, and Invent
TO her, and threw my arms around her
neck, and said: Mother will do better,
but you must help; can't do this alone.'"
knelt down and prayed. That night
his soul went to the Lord that made it.
Arrangements were made for the obse.
quies. The question was raised whetho:
they should bring him to the church.
Some body SAID: 'Xou can not bring SUCH
a dissolutc man as that into the church"
Isaid: "You will bring him in church:
he stood by me hen he was alive, and
will stand by him when he is dead. Bring
him." As stood in the pulpit and saw
them carry ing the body up the aisle, l felt
as if could weep tears of blood.
On one side of the pulpit sat his little
child of eight years, sweet, beautiful
little girl that have seen him hug con
vulsively in his better moments. He put
on her all jewels, all diamonds, and gave
her all pictures and toys, and then he
would 60 away as if bounded by an evi.
spirit, to his cups and the house Of shame
"A fool to the CORE ction Of the stocks.
She looked up wonderingly. She knew
not what 1t all meant. She was not ole
enough to understand the sorrow Of III
orphan child.
On the other side Of the pulpit sat the
men who had ruined him; they were the
men who had poured the wormwoDd into
the orphans cup; they were the men who
had bound him hand and foot. l knew
them. How did they seem to feell DID
they weeps No. Did they say: "What 8
pity that 50 generous a man should be de.
stroyed" No. Did they sigh rcpentingly
over wha. they had done! No; they sat
there, looking as vultures look at the car.
cass of lamb whose heart they had
ripped out So they sat and looked
at the coffin lid, and 1 told them
the judgment Of God upon those who had
destroyed their fellows. Did they
reform! I was told they were in the
places of iniquitv that night after my
friend was laid in lakewood Cemetery, and
they blasphemed, and they drank. Oh,
how merciless men are, especially after
they have destroyed YOU. DO not look tc
men for help. Look to God.
But there is man who will not reform
He cave. WON'T raforun We'll fkou
how many acts are there in a tragedy